Hypothetically
by Ron4
Summary: Seth and Marissa talk about their relationship, or lack thereof, when they are unexpectedly grouped together in science class. Hypothetically, of course.


Hypothetically  
  
Marissa bit her lip eagerly. It was the first school day of the year, which also marked Ryan's first day of school in Newport. Now that she and Luke had broken up, she was ready to admit to herself that she wanted a relationship with Ryan. She wanted to find him to offer to show him around, or anything that would get her close to him, if only for a few minutes. She scanned the crowded hallway, hoping to see him.  
  
Instead, she saw Seth. "Seth!" she called, pushing her way towards him. He hadn't heard her, and she wanted to get there before he disappeared. Most people were coming from the opposing direction, so she had trouble getting to him, but she was getting closer. "Seth!" she called, again. This time he heard her.  
  
"Marissa," he said, stopping in the middle of the hallway. However, the people in the hallway really were pushy, and they would have dragged him along if Marissa hadn't pulled him over to the wall.  
  
"Hey," she smiled in greeting.  
  
"Ryan's in the office," he told her.  
  
"Who said I was looking for Ryan?" she threw back, slight bitterness swimming in her thoughts, though she sounded sincere.  
  
"Like you'd talk to me without him being here," he pointed out, gripping the straps of his backpack.  
  
"I... I would too," she insisted. "What's he doing in the office?" Way to be discreet, Marissa, she thought. As if you already didn't have Seth Cohen point something out that makes you look like a snob.  
  
"They're getting someone to show him around," he informed her.  
  
"Oh, I'll do it," she said, smiling and straightening her posture. He rolled his eyes.  
  
"I don't think so," he said.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"No, I mean they won't let you. I'm sure you realize that I've already offered to be his guide, but they wouldn't let me. They already have someone to show him around, I guess."  
  
"You don't know who?" she asked, baffled.  
  
"Nope," he sighed, and let his eyes roam the now rapidly emptying corridor. The bell was about to ring. "Wait, here he comes out of the office." Marissa turned to the door that was ajar some few hundred feet away. Seth stood up tall to see who came out behind him.  
  
It was a surprise to both of them.  
  
It was Luke.  
  
* * *  
  
"I can't believe that Luke is Ryan's student guide. Talk about the worst case scenario," Marissa said to Seth. They had watched the two boys, the objects of Marissa's affections, past and present, head in the opposite direction of themselves. Now they were heading towards science, which they both shared first hour.  
  
"No kidding. I'm sorry, but if Luke does anything to Ryan, I'm gonna have to lay down the law," Seth said, giving her a serious stare.  
  
She kept herself from rolling her eyes. "Let's just hope that you don't have to... lay down the law," she said. They entered the science lab, and none to soon, either, as the final bell rang as they crossed the threshold between hallway and classroom. The teacher gave them a warning glare as they found seats; Seth sat in the back, and Marissa left him to sit in front next to Summer.  
  
The teacher, an old, birdy-looking woman, cleared her throat. "For those of you who don't know me, my name is Mrs. Jones, and I will be your science teacher for this school year." Looking around the room, she started up again. "I suppose we should get straight down to business. I've already assigned lab partners, alphabetically, and I will read them off right now. Do not forget your partner, as this will be whom you will work with for the entire year."  
  
The bird lady rummaged through papers that littered her desk, and finally found it underneath a large textbook. She cleared her throat again, and began reading off the list. "Lab group number one, Devon Atkins and Felicia Benson. Group two, Seth Cohen and Marissa Cooper."  
  
Summer gave a Seth a dirty look, and Marissa looked back at him, too. He gave her a goofy grin and a little wave. She shook her head and turned back around. This was going to be interesting, to say the least.  
  
* * *  
  
A week later, Seth and Marissa were working on their first lab together. "Use the Bunsen burner to heat up the chemicals," Marissa read. Seth hooked the burner up to the gas nozzle and turned it on, adjusting the flame.  
  
"I think this will be good for you," he told her, moving the test- tube and its contents lower onto the flame.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Being my lab partner," he said.  
  
"How?" she asked, seemingly disgusted by his idea.  
  
"Maybe this way, my next-door neighbor will be connected to me closer than through a friend who happens to live with me," he answered. "Maybe I'll get to know you, and you'll get to know me. Maybe we'll become friends."  
  
"We're friends," Marissa said.  
  
"If you say so. What's the next step?"  
  
"What do you mean, the next step? You want something after being friends?" she inquired, confused.  
  
"Uh, no... I meant, what is the next step in our lab," he said. She blushed.  
  
"Oh, right. When the liquid turns dark blue, turn off the flame," she muttered quickly. She stared at the lab instruction sheet, pretending to be absorbed in the wonderful reading that it was. She was obviously embarrassed.  
  
"What would you, uh, say, if I did want to be more than friends?" he asked, choosing not to look at her, but instead at the test-tube, in which the clear insides were slowly turning a light blue.  
  
She looked at him. "Are you asking?"  
  
"Hypothetically speaking, of course," he added.  
  
"I thought you had a thing for Summer? And Anna?"  
  
"Hypothetically," he reminded her.  
  
"Yes, hypothetically. Well, hypothetically, I would need to know why you would want me as more than a friend, and why I should agree."  
  
"Well, I suppose because you're beautiful-" (he blushed) "-and probably a great person, once I'd get to meet you. And we've known each other for the longest time, yet never even hinted at anything," he said, still watching the chemicals. "Hypothetically."  
  
"I see," she smirked. "And why I should agree?"  
  
"Because I'm asking," he said.  
  
"Hypothetically?" she asked.  
  
"No, not hypothetically," he replied, finally looking at her. His eyes proved his sincerity.  
  
Her grin dropped, but only a little. "Seth..."  
  
"I know, I know. There's Ryan," he said, turning, once again, to the bluing liquid. It was now what he considered dark blue, so he turned off the gas. "Next step?"  
  
"The next step is for me to say yes," she said.  
  
He looked at her. "Why?"  
  
"What do you mean, why?"  
  
"What about Ryan?"  
  
"What about Ryan?" she said in a different tone, as if to say that Ryan wasn't an issue right now. Except, he was.  
  
"Marissa, you've been drooling all over him since he's been here. As if it hasn't been obvious. I mean, honestly, who doesn't know this?"  
  
She didn't have an answer. She wasn't even sure if she wanted Seth. Or Ryan, for that matter. Maybe she was acting on impulse. Maybe the shock of losing Luke had finally got to her. It was Ryan who had brought her to the realization that Luke probably wasn't the one for her. But she didn't like this, being alone. Was Seth really someone she could see herself with?  
  
She looked at him. He was a dork, but he was funny. He wasn't popular, but that made him who he was. He was different, but... he was different. He had all of these qualities, none of which she really paid much attention to. And those were just his inner qualities.  
  
Now that she was taking a good look at him, she noticed that he wasn't bad looking. Not bad looking at all; in fact, she realized, he was very attractive. His curled, dark brown hair, his deep, chocolaty eyes... She wasn't partial to the look of most chins clefts, but there was just something about his, she observed. And his facial features just fit together so well.  
  
"My answer is yes. Please don't ask why again. If you really want to know, I can explain later. Say at... dinner, tonight?"  
  
"Are you asking me to ask you out on a date?" he asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
He cautiously let a smile creep onto his face. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay. Marissa, would you care to honor me with your presence at dinner tonight?" he asked formally, trying hard not to let his smile get the best of him.  
  
"Of course, Seth. What time should I expect your arrival?" she asked, continuing with the formal game that was being played.  
  
"Seven o'clock, if the time works for you," he suggested.  
  
"It works lovely, thank you," she said.  
  
"See you then," he said, ending the formalness.  
  
"Hypothetically speaking, of course," she replied.  
  
--end-- 


End file.
